Airplane seat dating

Over 15 years ago I went on holiday with my family to Florida for a Christmas I will never forget.When we came back to Northern Ireland through Heathrow Airport, my several thousand pound powered wheelchair was left behind in London.

I've chosen the bed as a starting point because it has many easily identifiable markings, and it probably wasn't replaced that often.

Unfortunately, many plane types share the same bed markings, so other features are also used in dating.

Muscular Dystrophy UK’s Trailblazers – a network of disabled young campaigners – carried out an investigation of the situation in air travel.

The Up in the Air report revealed that 6 in 10 young disabled people had sustained damage to their wheelchair.

The lack of dignity in being hauled on by four people talking and minding various limbs while passengers file on around you is like no other. But this is a bit of a miracle when 6 out of 10 people have damage to their wheelchair occur when travelling. Disabled people go on holiday, travel for work and visit family who live a bit further away, just like non-disabled people.

This is not the fault of assistance staff, but rather an impatient airline just wanting to get off the ground. They also hold a wealth of knowledge and a strong desire to get the job done when it comes to making their lives – and the jobs of others who help them – easier and more effective.

The BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner was left on a plane for 100 minutes – long after the last passenger walked off - last week because his wheelchair had misplaced.

You could be forgiven for hoping that this was a one-off event in a series of good stories. Air travel is full of difficulties for disabled people, and in the 15 years since my wheelchair went missing, it appears that little has changed.

Our next natural step is to make airplanes accessible for wheelchair users – staying in their wheelchairs on board.